North Cork Knitters present Easter treats in Fermoy
The North Cork Knitters group recently presented Fermoy Community Hospital with a basket of Easter treats for residents at the facility. Easter treats were also presented to residents at Carrigabrick Lodge and Fermoy Welfare Home.
Knitted bunny rabbits and chickens in baskets filled with chocolate buttons and eggs, were presented to residents along with cards.
Speaking with TheAvondhu, Mary Allen of the North Cork Knitters, noted that approximately 230 Easter baskets were made by members of the group to present to various care, respite and nursing homes in the North Cork area.
“In all, we made about 230 of them. If they’ll brighten the day for somebody for an hour or two, it’s well worth it to us,” she said.
Mallow Community Health Worker, Pauline O’Grady-Noonan, first put the knitting group together in January 2021 via Zoom during the lockdown, when face-to-face meet-ups were not allowed.
Since its inception, the group have been knitting for others and undertaking projects to benefit the wider community.
The group continues to meet on Mondays from 7pm until 8pm via Zoom to put together knitting projects.
“It’s a very likeable project, people want to be involved with it. We could be knitting every week and just producing our own knitting, but it’s not until you put a project like this together that people get real value out of it. You get more out of giving than you get out of getting,” Mary added.
According to Community Health Worker, Pauline O’Grady-Noonan, the idea of the Easter project came up during a Zoom meeting and the group decided to go ahead with the idea.
“Generally, the group is a very progressive group, they’re always coming up with ideas so it just came up in the group that we would try and do the little chick and the basket, and something that would hold the Easter egg.
“One of the girls in the group is with the Scouts and she said they would make the cards, so it just grew into something beautiful,” Pauline said.
Some members of the group then met to put together the handmade Easter treats with the chocolate for residents of local care homes and on Monday weekl last, they met with Fermoy Community Hospital to present 44 of the knitted bunnies and chicks to residents.
Director of Nursing at Fermoy Community Hospital Michelle Kiely, highlighted the importance of projects such as the North Cork Knitters in keeping residents connected with the wider community.
“We want to keep those connections that are there with the community. We have been cut off for the last couple of years and we want to regain all those connections.
“It’s so important that the residents here feel that connection and feel that they are connected to the outside world and that people are still considering them. It means so much for them to get something and that someone has put that thought and that effort into it,” she said.
With members from Mitchelstown, Fermoy, Mallow and surrounding areas, the North Cork Knitters welcome new members to join their online Zoom meetings. To get involved, contact Pauline O’Grady-Noonan at Mallow Community Health Project on (087) 4335047 or (022) 42439.